Show ContentsPelgrove History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The origins of the Pelgrove name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived in the region of Palgrave in various counties throughout England. Pelgrove is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Pelgrove family

The surname Pelgrove was first found in Suffolk at Palgrave, a village and civil parish that dates back to 962 when it was listed as Palegrave. By the Domesday Book of 1086 the village's name evolved to Palegraua which was listed there at that time. 1 Great Palgrave in Norfolk has a similar entry in the Domesday Book but this entry is the first listing and therefore it is presumed a more recent village. The place name literally means "grove where the poles are got" from the Old English "pal + "graf" or "grove or a man called Paga" from the Old English personal name + "graf." 2

Early History of the Pelgrove family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pelgrove research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1480, 1525 and 1554 are included under the topic Early Pelgrove History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pelgrove Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Pelgrove were recorded, including Palgrave, Palgrove and others.

Early Notables of the Pelgrove family

Notables of this surname at this time include: John Palsgrave (c.1480-1554), an English priest of Henry VIII of England's court. In 1525, he was appointed tutor to Henry's illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy. The expression...
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pelgrove Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Pelgrove family

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Pelgrove family emigrate to North America: Richard Palgrave, his wife Anne and their three daughters Elizabeth, Sarah and Mary, who arrived in Charlestown, MA in 1630.



  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)


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